Hitmen
by vashsunglasses
Summary: AU Las Vegas is home to seven professional hitmen.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Hitmen

**Author: **vashsunglasses

**Fandom: **The Magnificent Seven

**AU:** The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

**Warning: **The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior.

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**Hitmen**** Chapter One**

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_Las Vegas 8:32PM_

_The Intersection of Nellis and Bonanza_

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Chris Larabee sat on the bench for the CAT bus system transit line. From the casual cut of his clothes and the lazy way he slouched on the bench it was easy to mistake him for anything but what he was. A pair of dark sunglasses hid the predatory gleam in his eyes as he watched his prey walk down the sidewalk across the street from where he sat. He pulled out a cell phone and spoke quietly into the receiver, "The target is heading south down Nellis Blvd towards K-mart on the right hand side of the street. He is wearing a black jacket with dark pants and is in close proximity to a blond female in a blue shirt with dark pants, possibly a prostitute. The two will cross Bonanza Ave. in approximately one minute."

From the rooftop of an abandoned home off of Bonanza Ave, about 300 yards away from the intersection, Vin Tanner fixed his sights on the man and woman as they reached the crosswalk and began to wait for their turn to walk. A smirk crossed his lips as he replied to Chris, "Roger that Cowboy, I have him in my sights."

An identical smirk lit Chris' face as he watched his prey casually grab the woman on the ass. She gave the man a cold look in return and he quickly pulled his hand away. _No, not a prostitute…_ "Wait for my signal Sharp, the woman is not to be harmed."

Vin smiled at his friend's unnecessary words. He had never missed a target; his bullets always hit their mark without fail. "Roger that." His face grew lean and almost hungry as he focused all of his will on the target that was now beginning to cross the street.

Chris watched as the man's hand once again slipped down the woman's back. She pulled away slightly but that was more than enough. "Fire."

Tap, tap. Two exploding rounds hit the man in the center of his chest. He fell backwards onto the asphalt, and was dead before he hit the ground. The woman screamed and several people jumped out of their cars and ran to where the dead man lay, blocking him from Chris' view.

From where Vin was sitting he could see that the man was not moving. "The target has been neutralized, confirm?"

A CAT bus pulled up to where Chris was sitting and he casually walked inside it, swiping his bus pass and walking quickly towards the back. He sat down and glanced out the window where the slightly higher angle allowed him to see that the man had a gaping hole in his chest. He whispered into his phone, "Confirmed. The target has been neutralized. Stand down and pack up."

"Roger that." Vin took apart his gun in a remarkably short amount of time and slid down the roof. He was halfway down a side street before a minute had gone by.

Chris leaned back into his seat and relaxed putting the phone away. One of the other passengers who had been gawking out the windows at the carnage that was less than thirty feet away turned to him and asked, "Did you see what happened?"

Chris nodded, "I think someone shot him." He said, putting just the right amount of sympathy and fear into his voice.

"That's scary," the passenger said.

"Yeah, it is isn't it…" Chris murmured though the passenger wasn't paying attention anymore. "…Life is cheap."

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**Note:** I have a lot on my plate so please Review if you want me to make this a top priority. I put the most emphasis on the stories that people care about and it's hard to put my all into something if no one cares so please tell me if you care. I'm not a mind reader:) 


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Hitmen

**Author: **vashsunglasses

**Fandom: **The Magnificent Seven

**AU:** The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

**Warning: **The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior. This chapter contains some pretty salty words…

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**Hitmen Chapter Two**

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_Las Vegas 10:58PM_

_A Nice Neighborhood on the East Side_

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A big white Suburban pulled up to the curb in front of an ordinary looking home with grass in the front yard and average neighbors on either side. Two men climbed out of the car and walked up the sidewalk to the front door which was opened before they got to it by a man in a wheel chair who spoke to the two men as they entered the dwelling. "So, how'd it go?"

Chris answered him as he sat down on the couch and pulled off his shoes. "We got him, but we almost didn't. There was a woman hanging off his arm and blocking the shot. If she hadn't moved, we would have had to find another shot."

Vin smirked as he kicked off his shoes and walked towards the kitchen, "Yeah, it's a good thing you weren't there Buck, you being so soft on women and all…"

Buck scoffed and shut the door. "There's nothing wrong with respecting a woman."

"So that's what you call it!" Vin smirked to himself as he opened the refrigerator and looked inside.

Buck looked over to where Chris was lounging and waved his hand to indicate the wheelchair he was sitting in, "Let's just say that I thank the Lord every night that the paralysis only goes up to my thighs." He grinned wickedly and wheeled past the couch running over one of Chris' feet as he went by, "And that women seem to really dig my 'poor crippled me' act."

Chris grimaced and grabbed his injured foot, "Well, at least someone falls for that crap. A cold blooded killer like me can't be bothered to care."

Buck stuck out his tongue then muttered, "Jerk. Why I put up with you I'll never know."

"Someone's got to do the finances and manage the clients, Buck. It might as well be you." Chris dropped his foot and leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes and groaning with relief as the kinks in his back began to work themselves out.

Vin poked his head back into the room, "Y'all want a beer?"

"Nah." Chris stretched and got up, slowly making his way to the bathroom with a slight frown on his face.

"What's up with him?" Buck asked.

Vin shrugged, "Dunno. He's been like that since we met at the rendezvous point after the job." He handed a beer to Buck, then leaned his head back and took a few swift gulps of his own.

Buck frowned at the closed bathroom door. "Damn, he must be having another one of his guilt trips…"

Vin snorted, "You know, that man has to be the most sympathetic sociopath I've ever met…"

Buck tipped his beer at Vin and took a sip, "He's definitely unique, I give you that."

For a moment the room was silent as both men drank their beers with thoughtful expressions on their faces. Vin tried to find a way to change the subject to something less confusing then their erstwhile boss, "So what's the news on our competition?"

Buck's face dropped into a frown, "Two hits on the west side last night."

Vin choked on his beer, and it took him a moment to catch his breath enough to ask, "Two?" There was a nod in reply, "Damn. You sure?"

Buck seemed to ponder it for a moment, as if trying to puzzle out some mystery that kept eluding him, "Actually, one of the hits was pretty strange."

"What kind of strange?"

The man in the wheelchair's voice was flat, "Throat was slit."

Vin's eyes widened and he blurted out, "Ezra's crew never slit throats. It's all explosives and arson for them…"

"I know… But the police found an Ace of Spades on the body. Ezra always leaves his calling card where the cops can find it, you know that." Buck finished, and then took another swallow of his beer.

Chris spoke from where he was leaning on the door frame of room. The other two men had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't heard him come in. "Maybe it was a special job?"

Buck shrugged unwillingly, "Maybe…"

Vin smirked as he contemplated his friend's secretive nature. Sometimes it almost took wild horses to drag information out of him, but most of the time it was worth it, "But you don't think so, do you? There was something else, wasn't there?"

"Which is what?" Chris narrowed his eyes at Buck.

Buck looked away from his friends' inquisitive stares, but gave them what they wanted, "The hit was a small time gang leader. Ezra always goes after the big wigs."

Vin rolled his eyes in disappointment, "So it's a copy cat. So what. Whoever it is will get sloppy and get caught. No big deal." He walked back into the living room and turned on the TV, grumbling to himself about idiotic friends.

Chris noticed that his friend's frown still hadn't left his face and asked, "You don't agree?"

"Something about it just sticks in my paw I guess… I know it's nothing important, but it just keeps popping into my head." He shrugged and threw his beer bottle towards the trash can, grinning in victory as it went in without touching the sides.

Chris continued to glare at Buck, "Another Buck Wilmington gut special huh? Just don't do anything stupid and get us caught, OK?"

Buck put an exaggerated look of offence on his face and waved his arms, "Hey! This is me we're talking about here!"

Chris just glared even harder, "That's what I'm afraid of."

A loud voice roared out from the couch, "Could you two keep it down! I'm trying to watch TV here!"

The two men let the conversation drop and went to join their friend on the couch, unaware of how this one strange hit would change all of their lives.

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_Las Vegas 11:24PM_

_An Expensive Apartment Building on the West Side_

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In a large, lavish apartment across town from where three friends watched TV, another three men were sitting around a table. Ezra Standish slammed his copy of that evening's Review Journal on the table and screamed, "Who the fuck do they think they are?" 

Nathan Jackson, a tall man wearing a white lab coat over his normal clothes, put his hand on Ezra's arm and spoke softly to him, "Don't get so worked up. It's just a small time thug thinking to cover his tracks by borrowing our glory."

"Everyone starts out somewhere…" The third man, Josiah Sanchez, spoke up gruffly from behind the large Bible he was studying out of.

Ezra smirked bitterly, "Then let them start out somewhere else! We already have enough trouble with those trigger happy cretins on the east side, the last thing we need is to have our good name dragged through the mud by some delinquent trying to make a name for himself!" He dragged his hands through his perfect hair in rage, messing it up.

Nathan spoke up once more, "From what I hear, this wasn't a messy killing. The cut was made with surgical precision and the police haven't found any evidence to link the kill to any suspects. Whomever it was who did this, they know their stuff."

Josiah put down his Bible and his deep voice rumbled thoughtfully, "Do you think it could be the 'trigger happy cretins' as you put it, trying to take us down? They have been getting more and more bold lately. Apparently there was a man shot only a few hours ago in the middle of a busy intersection."

"Slit throats just aren't their style." Ezra groaned, "It has to be someone else."

Frustration finally began to cross Nathan's face, "Not that this isn't entertaining, but can we get back to the task at hand? We promised to have Larry Douglas brought down by next week and we still haven't found an opening."

Ezra's shoulders relaxed and a grin lit his face as he thought about what they could do, "Gentlemen, I've been thinking long and hard about it and I think I have an answer."

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**Note:** Sorry, but this is about as long as my chapters get… 


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Hitmen

**Author: **vashsunglasses

**Fandom: **The Magnificent Seven

**AU:** The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

**Warning: **The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior.

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**Hitmen Chapter Three**

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_Four Days Later_

_Las Vegas 6:00AM_

_Outside Larry Douglas' Condo_

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The young man seemed to have come out of nowhere and Ezra had no time to dodge him before they ran into each other. "Hey! Watch it man, I'm walking here!" The younger man said with an East Coast accent.

Ezra carefully straightened his expensive suit before looking into the face of his accuser, "I beg your pardon?" he asked coldly, looking at the younger man's shoulder length black hair and baggy clothes with thinly veiled disgust.

The young man's face was sarcastic and he folded his arms across his chest with a slightly superior air, "You should pay more attention to your surroundings."

Ezra's eyebrow rose, displaying his indignation, "What…"

The young man threw up one of his hands suddenly and interrupted, "People get so wrapped up in themselves that they don't pay attention to the people around them. All they care about is their jobs. It's pathetic, really. There is so much going on right under people's noses and they miss it all."

Ezra drew himself up to his full height and threw the younger man a condescending look, "Little boy, I've seen more in my life than you could imagine." His voice was coolly dismissive.

The younger man withdrew his hand and laughed, "Whatever you say old man..." he said with a snicker as he walked around Ezra and continued down the street.

Ezra put the annoying young man out of his mind as he walked down the sidewalk, and after about a hundred feet he reached the entrance to the new Condo complex that had been Douglas' place of residence since it finished construction half a year previous. He entered the spacious lobby on the ground floor and grinned as he saw that the front desk was vacant. _It's amazing where a little money can get you…_ he thought, and his grin grew wider. _This is almost too easy_.

He leaned over the front of the desk and pressed the hidden button that called the elevators down to pick him up. After that it was a short walk to the gold painted doors of the elevators, and an even shorter wait for an available elevator to open for him and begin its accelerated trip to the top floor. Once he reached the top floor he pulled out his cell phone and hit the button that connected him directly to Josiah, who was currently hanging from an electrical pole behind the building.

Josiah pulled his ringing cell phone out of his front pocket and put it to his ear. "I can't believe this is actually working, it's like something out of a bad movie…" he said with a hint of a laugh in his voice.

Ezra pushed himself against the wall and whispered quietly in reply, "It's like I said earlier: Sometimes the direct approach is the best one."

"Indeed." Josiah nodded to himself, "When one casts a wide net, it's hard to stop the smaller fish from swimming through the gaps."

Ezra rolled his eyes and hung up, putting the phone away and pulling some black leather gloves out of his pocket, which he quickly put on just before the hallway went red as Josiah cut the power to the building and the emergency lights went on.

Ezra pulled a small handgun with a silencer out of his breast pocket and quietly made his way to the bend in the hallway that lead to his target's condo. It was too quiet and it made him nervous. He had expected to hear some kind of noise from the bodyguards that were stationed at Douglas' door, but all he could hear was the sound of his own breathing echoing in the corridor. He paused at the corner, and then spun into the next hallway only to find himself aiming his gun at nothing at all. There was no one there. _What the hell?_

He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as he walked to the door. There was blood on the doorknob and his heart beat accelerated in his chest as a horrible idea grew in his mind. _No. It's not possible…_

He reached for the knob, grimacing in slight disgust as he felt the blood slick his grip as he turned it and opened the door. What he saw when he looked inside stole his breath.

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Nathan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and turned up the radio slightly as one of his favorite songs came on. When he looked up he noticed Josiah drive by in a white truck and gave his friend an almost imperceptible nod. 

_Any minute now_, he thought as he scanned the rear view mirror for the image of his boss. A crowd had gathered outside the building as residents had walked outside into the early morning heat to escape the darkness of their homes. After about ten minutes Ezra made his way out of the crowd and stalked up to the passenger door. The slam of the door and the look on his face told Nathan one thing. Ezra was pissed.

"What happened?" Nathan asked.

Ezra threw an Ace of Spades onto Nathan's lap with a dark scowl, "I'm going to kill whoever is responsible for this."

His friend's eyes widened, "You mean…"

Ezra ground his teeth and nodded sharply, "His throat was slit before I got there."

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**Note to Reviewers:** If you have an account with FanFictionNet could you please sign in when you review? We're not allowed to respond to reviews in our stories and the only way for me to respond to you is if you are signed in so I can send a private message with the new system. I've made it a new habit to reply to every signed review I get but I can't reply if no one is signed in, so… 


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Hitmen

**Author: **vashsunglasses

**Fandom: **The Magnificent Seven

**AU:** The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

**Warning: **The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior.

**Note:** This chapter is the start of a multi-chapter arc so it will be slightly shorter than the usual chapter length. However, what length there is will have action enough for many pages I promise.

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**Hitmen Chapter Four**

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_The Next Day_

_Las Vegas 9:43AM_

_Westside Apartment_

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Ezra sat in his soft leather office chair and reached for the phone on the desk. He dialed and waited for the person on the other end to pick up before speaking softly into the receiver, "Did you undercut me, Mr. W?"

_What?_

"I'm asking if you hired some one else to take out Douglas without informing me. Did you?" he purred.

_Is this some kind of joke? I heard on the news that you finished the job-_

Ezra's eyes flashed and his voice was suddenly very, very serious, "This isn't a joke. I'm not in a joking mood. I put myself and my men at personal risk to complete our transaction only to find that someone beat us to the punch. This situation does not amuse me."

_That's good news, if someone beat you to it, I don't have to pay you._

"Oh, really?" Ezra said coldly.

_Yes, really._

His voice took on a deadly quality, "I was promised 50,000 dollars upon the death of Larry Douglas, Mr. W, and I intend to collect on that amount one way or the other."

_Is that a threat?_

"Yes Mr. W, that was indeed a threat. If we don't receive the specified funds within 72 hours we will make another hit, but this one will be free of charge…"

_You can't touch me, I have anonymity! You don't even know who I am. This transaction was done anonymously, remember?_

"What anonymity? Did you really think that we would take an assignment without checking into the identity of our clients? Do you think I am a fool? The police know my face and my name, yet I still walk free… do you know why that is? It's because I'm not stupid enough to accept a job unless I know for a fact that my client is not a cop or a fed."

_heavy breathing_

"I really must be going now, Senator-" There was an audible gasp on the other end of the line and Ezra smirked, "-Oops! I mean Mr. W. I will be awaiting your payment. Have a pleasant day."

He hung up the phone and turned to the other two men in the room, "It's not him."

Josiah nodded and rubbed one of his big hands down the side of his face, "So now we pay a visit to our competitors on the east side?"

"What if it's not them either?" Nathan said, looking worried.

Ezra stood up and his face became grim, "Then we tear this town apart until we find him. I will not accept anything less than his total destruction at my hands."

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_Later that day_

_Las Vegas 1:08PM_

_Nellis Super Wal-Mart_

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Three men moved down the isle in the grocery section of a Super Wal-mart. One of the men was sitting in an electric cart while the other two walked alongside him. One of the men, who was tall and blond, moved slightly ahead as the other man spoke to the man in the electric cart, "Tell me again why we both had to be here with you, Buck?"

Buck looked up from the box of pancake mix he was examining and said, "Because if I don't take Chris, he'll spend the next few weeks mad at me because I didn't get him the cereal he was hungry for and if I don't take you, you'll whine and complain about the quality of the steaks I buy."

Vin smirked, "…so?"

Buck smirked in return and put the box back on the shelf, "So, I can't take any more attitude from you two babies! You can go ahead and leave, I'll be more than happy to pick out steaks for you. And when you complain, and you will complain, I'll also be more than happy to kill you in your sleep." He smiled beatifically.

"Jerk!" Vin hissed and turned to Chris in mock anger, "Don't you think Buck is a jerk, Chris?"

Chris didn't respond; too busy looking off into the distance with a strange look on his face.

"What are you staring at?"

Chris pointed towards the book section which was barely visible in the distance, "Does that kid over there seem familiar to you?"

Buck rolled his eyes at this and went on ahead to finish the shopping.

Vin squinted towards where Chris was pointing, "Which kid? There are a million kids here, Cowboy; you're going to have to be more specific."

"The one with the longish black hair." Chris replied.

Vin stared across the distance for a moment, mentally cataloging every aspect of the young man that Chris had pointed out to him and comparing it to his memories of noteworthy people he had met recently and in the past. "Hmm… Nope, never laid eyes on him before, why?"

"Never mind" Chris shrugged. The two men began to move again and turned the corner into the next isle only to find Buck being held at gunpoint by a large man while a dark skinned man stood in the background and a man who they recognized as Ezra, the infamous assassin, standing in front of him.

Ezra smiled at the two men, "Good evening Gentlemen."

Vin and Chris stopped and glared at the men who dared to put a gun to their friend. Suddenly, Buck pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it at Ezra's back. Nathan immediately pulled out his gun and aimed it at the back of Buck's head. Chris and Vin pulled their guns at the same instant, with Chris pointing his gun at Josiah and Vin pulling his gun on Nathan.

Ezra smiled even wider. Things had just gotten interesting.

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_-To be Continued-_

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**Note:** So, who's going to come out of this Mexican standoff on top? Will it be Chris' ragtag assassins, or Ezra's sophisticated syndicate? Will they shoot up Wal-mart? What will happen if someone needs to get something from their isle while they are there? Will Chris find the right brand of cereal? Who's that kid with the shoulder-length black hair everyone keeps running into? These questions and more _might_ be answered in the next chapter…


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **Hitmen

**Author: **vashsunglasses

**Fandom: **The Magnificent Seven

**AU:** The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

**Warning: **The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior.

**Note:** So, did you think I was dead? Well, I _was _actually… but I crawled out from my grave just to finish this story for all of my darling fans. Here I sit, rotting away and typing my heart out (literally) for you. Thus I prove my undying (undead?) devotion to you all.

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**Hitmen Chapter Five**

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_Continued from the Last Chapter_

_Las Vegas 1:10 PM_

_Nellis Super Wal-Mart_

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For a moment all was still as the desperate men glared at each other with death in their eyes, waiting for the chance to strike. Then a whistling Wal-Mart associate walked by and realized what was happening in his department. After that it was a mad panic, with the store being rapidly emptied of all customers and the police being called to the scene. Yet none of the men moved from their positions. They hardly even blinked. Finally, the store grew still once more and very, very quiet. Chris spoke, "Why are you doing this, Ezra? Why are you putting yourself at risk for something stupid like this?"

"One thing that I've learned over the years, Chris, is that a man must become larger than himself if he is to make it in this world." Ezra threw up a lazy hand in mild revulsion, "Anyone can skulk around in the dark and kill people. It takes a legend to do it fearlessly and with style. Because I am willing to put myself out in the open for all to see, I will get more clients, and that is why I will blossom where others wither."

"You also put your men at risk." Chris said flatly, nodding his head towards Josiah and Nathan.

Ezra sniffed defiantly, "Their risk is their own. That they chose to come here and take that risk is no one's business but theirs."

Buck spoke quietly from his chair, "Sometimes, you don't realize what you are truly risking until it is too late. If something goes wrong, it is your men who will pay the price. I know; I've paid that price myself."

Chris swallowed back the sudden lump of guilt that formed in his throat at his friend's words, remembering his once again how his brash actions after his wife's death ended in tragedy for the one man who had stood by him through it all. He wanted to apologize once again for his actions, but he knew that this was neither the time nor the place for such words.

_This is the Police! We've got the building surrounded!_

"Now what, genius?" Chris hissed to Ezra.

Ezra's grin slipped off of his face, and all that was left was a cold regard that chilled all those who looked upon it. "Now you tell me what you know about the degenerate who has been using my calling card and stealing my targets."

_Surrender now or we will have to be forced to take action!_

"I'd love to help you," Vin said in a slow, lazy drawl, "but I'm only a simple man and I ain't got the slightest idea what 'degenerate' means…"

Ezra's lips twitched slightly.

"Is it a type of fish?" Vin continued with a sparkle in his eye.

Nathan coughed to try to hide his sudden need to laugh. He knew from long experience that Ezra hated it when people made fun of his word usage. Perhaps these men weren't so bad after all.

_I repeat: This is the Police! We've got the building surrounded!_

Buck saw that this line of conversation wouldn't get any of them anywhere, amusing as it was, so he answered Ezra's question, "We don't know anything about this imposter person. You're barking up the wrong tree."

Ezra pondered Buck's answer for a moment, then turned hard eyes on Chris, "Is that true?" he said with challenge in his voice.

Chris stared him straight in the eyes, "It's true. I'll give you my word on it."

_Surrender now or we will have to be forced to take action!_

Ezra nodded briskly, the smile returning to his face, "Well! That's good enough for me. Now let's get out of here before the officers outside get trigger happy." He turned and began to walk down the isle towards his men and the center of the store, Nathan and Josiah putting away their guns and joining him. After a few seconds he stopped and turned to Chris once more, "Aren't you coming?"

Chris' eyebrow flew up.

Ezra shrugged in a friendly manner, "It would be ungentlemanly for me to leave you here to face the police after I'm the one who initiated this little brawl. I had an escape route in place before I walked in the door. Trust me on this, I know what I'm doing… unless you actually want to have a shoot out with the cops?"

"Put away your guns." Chris did so and Vin and Buck followed suit. "Lead the way."

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They are magnificent. Even better than I had imagined. Every time I think that I have them pegged they surprise me by surmounting all of my expectations. It's almost sad that I have to continue with my plans against them. Unfortunately for them, what he did was inexcusable and unforgivable.

Forgive me mother. Forgive me for what has to be done.

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"Good evening, officers." Ezra said smoothly as he exited through the door in the back of the building. The police officers standing around the door frowned but the stepped aside to let the six men leave the building without molestation.

At Chris' enquiring look Ezra elaborated, "Money makes the world go round. Wouldn't you agree?"

All of the men quickly entered a large white van and before a minute had passed they were a few blocks away from Wal-Mart.

"So where are you going to drop us off?" Vin asked confidently.

"We're not." Ezra said coldly, pulling a gun from his jacket and aiming at Vin from where he sat in the passenger seat. "I'm not done with you yet."

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_-To be Continued-_

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**Note:** So basically I saved you from the last cliffhanger, only to hit you with another one. Don't worry though, this next chapter is the end of this three part arc. On the bright side, you finally got to hear from the mysterious killer!


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **Hitmen

**Author: **vashsunglasses

**Fandom: **The Magnificent Seven

**AU:** The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

**Warning: **The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior.

**Note: **I'm sorry this took so long to post. I was very busy these last few months both with school and with preparing to enter the Catholic Church at Easter. I promise to have much quicker updates now that summer is at hand and I will have all the writing time I could want.

* * *

**Hitmen Chapter Six**

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* * *

**

_Continued from the Last Chapter_

_Las Vegas 1:23 PM_

_Leaving the Nellis Super Wal-Mart_

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"_We're not." Ezra said coldly, pulling a gun from his jacket and aiming it at Vin from where he sat in the passenger seat. "I'm not done with you yet." _

Vin stiffened in his seat and Chris tightened his white knuckled grip on the arm rest. Buck gave Ezra a mildly disapproving look, though a crease deepened between his eyes.

Nathan Jackson's lips tightened into a frown and when he spoke the tone was strained, "Put the goddamned gun away Standish. They're never going to cooperate if you keep forcing them like this!"

"What was that Mr. Jackson?" Ezra hissed darkly at him as he spoke. "You seem to be forgetting who the boss is around here."

"I agree with Nathan," Josiah's rumbling voice boomed from behind Ezra in the driver's seat, "The time for animosity has passed. Put down the gun Brother, and let them make their own decision."

Ezra lowered the small gun, then turned and slumped into his seat. "Do whatever you want," he said wearily turning his face towards the window. At this, a grin quirked on Vin's brow and the air pressure in the vehicle seemed to subside from the ominous heavy weight it had been only moments before.

Nathan smiled apologetically to the three passengers of the white car while Josiah steered them toward the center of the city where the Stratosphere gleamed tall and white amidst the casinos. "I'm very sorry for my employer's behavior just now. He means well, but sometimes he is a bit heavy handed. We wish to request your help to catch the person who has been stealing our jobs. We believe that it would be in the best interests of everyone here to stop this person from disrupting our business affairs. There is every reason to assume that this person is using our agency as a stepping stone to take control of the local demand for the services we all provide."

"We'll do it," Chris answered immediately, startling everyone, "On one condition: If you ever pull a weapon on one of my men again I will see you dead."

Ezra turned in his leather seat and stared into Chris' eyes. Chris stared back, raising his eyebrows in a hidden question which Ezra replied to with a glint of defiance. Chris' expression did not change; instead each bone in his face seemed to grow more pronounced, like a relief carved in marble. 'Nothing you do will change what is already in motion' his blue glass eyes intoned.

Ezra broke the gaze first, dropping his eyes to the floor. "I submit… and I accept your condition." He turned once again to face the side window, the conversation finished.

For a while the vehicle was silent as four confused men wondered what had just happened and what exactly Ezra had submitted to so grudgingly. Then Chris interrupted the silence once more. "All right, here's what we do."

* * *

_Las Vegas 1:43 PM_

_The parking lot in front of Fashion Q boutique_

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_

A white van weaved its way violently into the shopping center parking lot and slammed to a halt in front of a small fashion boutique. The doors flew open and six men ran from the vehicle, separating into groups of three and positioning themselves opposite each other behind the cover of some parked cars. Seconds later the front window of the boutique was shattered as the van exploded. The air was filled with shrieks and debris as bystanders fled the area of the blast. For a moment there was quiet, and then shots rang out in the dense smoke. For several minutes as the smoke cleared the gunfire was continuous, then everything grew silent once more. When the smoke cleared, the men were gone.

* * *

_The Next Day_

_Las Vegas 7:16AM_

_A Nice Neighborhood on the East Side_

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"Guess who's on the front page this morning?" said Vin as he threw the Las Vegas Sun newspaper at Buck.

Buck winced as the paper landed on top of his cereal bowl, dumping both cereal and milk into his lap. "Damn it Vin! I'm going to kill you!" he snarled as he looked down at the mess. "Come here!" he said, pushing his wheelchair back from the table. With a spin of the wheels he thrust himself at his laughing friend who took one look at the enraged man heading his way and sprinted down the hallway to the bathroom, where he locked himself in. Buck pounded on the door and roared, "Come out here and face me like a man!"

"You two woke me up." Chris said as he stood in the doorway to his bedroom in rumpled pajamas. The muffled laughter from the bathroom went silent and Buck's mouth hung open in shock and dread.

"Vin, let me in. Quick!" Buck said as he banged on the bathroom door.

"Why should I? Vin murmured back.

"You wouldn't leave me out here alone with Chris would you Pard?"

"Shut up Buck." Chris said as he passed Buck in the hallway and went to the coffee maker on the kitchen counter. Pouring himself a mug of coffee and taking a big swallow he walked to the table and sat down, looking at the newspaper with interest. _Multiple gang battles panic city!_ "Hey guys, we're on the front page." Chris said, and then glanced up at Buck as he cautiously rolled closer to the table. "Why do you have food in your lap, Buck?" Chris asked.

Loud cackling could be heard from the bathroom as Buck rolled his eyes in annoyance at the question. "If you need me, I'll be in my room changing my pants." Buck said as he backed away from the table and turned the wheelchair to roll it to his room. As he entered his room and slammed the door shut Vin unlocked the bathroom door and peeked cautiously into the hallway.

"Is it clear?" he asked Chris in a whisper.

"He's in his room," Chris replied. "What the hell did you do to him, anyway?"

Vin grinned viciously, "Dumped his cereal. Why do you ask?"

Chris grunted and took a deep swig of coffee, "I wanted to know what was so important that you two would jeopardize your lives like that by waking me up this early in the morning."

"I was actually an accident, I wanted to show Buck the newspaper but I spilled his cereal instead," Vin said as he sat at the table across from Chris. "Yours and Ezra's plan seems to be working pretty well so far. Anyone who reads this would think we all hate each other."

Chris' lips drew up in a smirk as he breathed in the rich steam that rose from the mug in his hands. "That job stealing bastard will never see it coming," he said coldly, with dark finality in each syllable.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **Hitmen

**Author: **vashsunglasses

**Fandom: **The Magnificent Seven

**AU:** The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

**Warning: **The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior.

**Note: **This chapter has a lot of language and some disturbing mental states.

* * *

**Hitmen Chapter Seven**

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_One Month Later_

_Las Vegas 4:53PM_

_Westside Apartment_

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Ezra smiled as he closed his cell phone and stuck it in the front pocket of his maroon suit jacket. "Well Gentlemen, I think we've found the job we've been looking for," he said to the two men standing nearby. He silently picked up a steno book and pen and sat down at the table with them. Nathan and Josiah stood over his shoulders and watched as he began to write.

_This is the job we have been waiting for. Now we can catch that little bastard who's been stealing our work._

"Really? That's great," Nathan said, "What are the particulars?"

"He's a forty-seven year old white male who is temporarily living at the Stardust hotel due to an unfortunate fire at his residence in Summerlin on the west side of town." Ezra said.

_Chris and his crew will be able to get in undetected and catch him in the act of trying to upstage us._

"Sounds perfect brother Ezra," Josiah interjected. "With all the crowds it will be easy to set up."

_I will write down everything we know about the hit so far and Josiah can slip it to them when he goes out later this evening. If Lady Luck is on our side they will be both willing and able to attend our little sortie this weekend._

"So, what's the target's name?" Nathan asked.

Ezra looked at his accomplices with his lips drawn up in a smirk. The smirk turned into a grin before he answered, "Judge Orin W. Travis."

_Two birds with one stone._

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_Simultaniously_

_Las Vegas 4:53PM_

_Silverstar Motel_

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In a small dark room in a rundown motel complex approximately three blocks from Ezra Standish's condominium, a dark haired young man muttered to himself as he typed the name 'Judge Orin W. Travis' into a search engine. A headset rested around his neck and from this the soft sound of voices could still be faintly overheard.

The first bug had been ridiculously easy to plant, all he had had to do was pay a Chinese food delivery boy to let him borrow his cap and finish his delivery for him. When the dark skinned one had handed him the change for the food he had pretended to drop it, and while on his knees he had stuck the bug on the underside of the door. He expected the man to notice his slight of hand, but he hadn't. But then again, no one had ever really noticed him except for his mother, and now that she was gone it was as if he had become transparent altogether. A ghost.

The second and third bugs had been even easier. Call up the men and tell them that he needed to inspect the plumbing. He was sure that they would see right through him, but yet again his strange invisibility was at work. He had wandered through their home, looking at the pipes in the kitchen and bathroom and taping bugs to the back sides of them. On his way out the door he met the dark skinned doctor once again. His breath had caught in his throat in anticipation but the man had barely glanced at him as he walked by. When he got back to the motel he had spent fifteen hours in front of the cracked mirror in the dingy bathroom, telling himself over and over again, "I exist," before passing out on the spotted tile floor in exhaustion.

After that it had taken several weeks of listening in on Ezra's conversations with his men before he had been able to get up the nerve to take his first retribution. He had focused his entire being on this mission, focused every thought on completing it successfully. He was so ready for action that when the gang leader caught him alone in the alleyway and threatened him it was as natural as breathing to slide the knife into his throat. As the man bled out onto the ground the young man had placed one of his cards into his gaping mouth.

It was the afternoon of the very next day that he had leaned his head on the window of the public bus just in time to see a man's chest explode, right in the middle of the crosswalk. He didn't think the bus driver had seen it though, because the bus continued to the next stop and opened its doors to exchange passengers. The man who had gotten on at that stop had struck the air from his lungs. Everything, from the length of his stride to the set of his shoulders, to the frozen glare in his eyes, screamed predator in bright neon letters to him. This man was a killer. He had spoken to the man, needing to know if this man was responsible for the carnage a mere thirty feet away. "Did you see what happened?" he had asked. The man had responded with a platitude that was obviously meant to shut him up, but he couldn't stop himself from responding with his own platitude, "That's scary." And then the man had rewarded him with words that spun in his dreams for weeks afterwards, "Yeah, it is, isn't it. Life is cheap."

Larry Douglas' guards hadn't even looked at him with the least bit of suspicion when he walked up the hallway and asked them if he had the right room. Their throats were slit before their hands even began to reach for their side arms. When he entered the apartment, Douglas had been too busy watching the game on TV to even glance his way. It was the last mistake he ever made and the young man was already out of the complex and walking down the sidewalk before the power was cut to the building. And before that, he had even had time to give that bastard Ezra a lecture on paying attention to his surroundings. "Pay attention to me!" he cried out inside as he was coldly dismissed by the other man. "Pay attention to me!"

It had taken several hours in front of the bathroom mirror to stop that inner voice from its repetitive cries. And it was several hours more before he could bring himself to eat something and get some sleep.

That next day he had woken up from a single hour's sleep to find out that there was something big going down at the Super Wal-Mart near the Air Force Base. The golden haired killer had been there and for an instant the young man's heart had thumped in his chest as he felt those cold cold eyes come to rest on him. On him! And then Ezra and the large man and the doctor who looked right through him had shown up and the men had begun a battle that had ended with an explosion several miles away.

The young man hummed faintly to himself as he finished his basic search for information on the Judge. Maybe when this was all over and Ezra was destroyed he would try to find out more about the blond killer and his friends…


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **Hitmen

**Author: **vashsunglasses

**Fandom: **The Magnificent Seven

**AU:** The Hitmen Universe (Status-Closed without express permission from me until the story is finished. If you really want to write something, please ask, I'm a nice girl and will probably say yes as long as you link back to me and this story.)

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **AU Las Vegas is home to group of seven professional hitmen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Magnificent Seven" in any of its incarnations. I am not a hitman and I know nothing about assassination techniques or weapons so don't be too hard on me if I get something wrong. I am making no money from this writing and do this for my own personal enjoyment only.

**Warning: **The fic contains graphic violence and criminal behavior.

**Note: **After a nice review I was inspired to get to work and finish this chapter. I'm sorry for the wait, please just chalk it up to summertime laziness.

* * *

**Hitmen Chapter Eight**

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_A Few Days Later_

_Las Vegas 11:02AM_

_Stardust Hotel and Casino_

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"Buck, will you quit staring at that slot machine and pay attention? We have a job to do," Vin said, looking over Buck's shoulder at the rather generic looking 'Terminator' graphics on the machine. "The eye isn't even the right color. Since when did he have a glowing green eye anyway?"

Buck turned puppy eyes up to his friend, "Aw, come on pard. Just one game won't hurt anything."

"It'll hurt you if Chris catches you at it." Vin said, crossing his arms while he spoke with a smug tone, while secretly eyeing the blackjack tables across the room.

Buck followed his hungry gaze and smirked, his eyes lit up as his mind moved over the possibilities, "Tell you what, Vin. How about we hurry and finish casing this joint and then you can hit the tables and I can hit the slots and Chris will never have to know…"

Vin grinned and raised his hand into a lazy salute, "I like the way you think, Buck."

"Well, I don't," said a dark and dangerous voice at their backs, causing Buck to straighten up in his chair and Vin to leap about five feet to his left, placing his back against the machine and facing the man who had snuck up on them so easily.

"N-now Cowboy-" Vin started, but stopped dead at the virulent glare thrown his way. He threw up his hands as if to protect himself from the deadly blue eyes.

Buck stayed silent, but could almost physically feel the hitman's eyes burning a pair of holes in the back of his skull. How Chris could manage to glare at both of them at the same time was a mystery, but one he didn't feel stupid enough to ask about right now. Maybe one day he would be drunk enough, or stoned enough, and then he would ask and heaven help him when he did.

"Turn that chair around, Buck, and face me," Chris said in a syrupy tone that danced right up his spine. He did so, but his hands were shaking and slipped off the wheels a few times in the process. He found that he couldn't bear to meet that white hot gaze, so he rested his eyes several inches below it on his black shirt.

"Now, fellas," Chris said with a shinny grin that made Vin's head hurt, "Do you remember what happened the last time you two went gambling?"

"We lost a lot of money," Vin replied in a barely audible voice.

Chris seemed to find that answer amusing, and threw his head back in a gleeful laugh that made both men's stomachs jump, though the abrupt end to the laughter felt even worse. "You lost a lot of money," he repeated thoughtfully. "Buck!"

"Yessir," Buck answered in a strangled tone as his eyes moved even farther down Chris' shirt to rest somewhere around his waist.

"Vin's answer seems rather vague, don't you agree?"

"Yessir," Buck's gaze dropped down to the black slacks his friend wore.

"I mean, a lot of money could mean anything couldn't it? It could mean a hundred dollars, a thousand dollars, even ten thousand dollars, couldn't it?

"Yessir," he answered as his gaze fell to rest on black cowboy boots.

"But it doesn't, does it? In this case a lot of money means a lot more than a mere ten thousand dollars. So I ask you again Vin, do you remember what happened the last time you two went gambling? And try not to be so vague with your answer this time, hmm?"

Vin gulped, trying to push down the lump that seemed to block his breathing. When he next spoke, he had difficulty getting his tongue around the words. He felt a faint sense of amazement underneath his terror at the things Chris could make him feel with just a glare. "We lost twenty-five thousand dollars."

"That's right!" Chris said pleasantly, clapping his hands together in front of him like a gunshot. "And do you remember what I said I'd do to you if you ever did something like that again?" Silence greeted him in reply, "No answer from either of you?" Silence again. "Then let me remind you: I promised the both of you that if you ever pulled a stunt like that again I would shoot you and dump your bodies in the desert to rot." He read the dread in both men's eyes and felt the deep satisfaction of a job well done… and now for the kicker, "We have the whole day to check everything out so I see no reason why you two can't relax and spend some time gambling. Have fun!" Having said that, he turned his back on the flabbergasted men and sauntered towards the poker room.

* * *

_That Same Day_

_Las Vegas 8:56PM_

_Westside Apartment_

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_

Nathan stared at the closed door to Ezra's private rooms and thought about his employer's recent strange behavior. It had all started when they had met up with the other assassins, with Ezra being uncharacteristically broody after the staring match with the other leader. Since then it was almost as if they were living and working with two different Ezra's, the confident leader of before and the new one, a quiet brooding one, who shut himself in his rooms for hours at a time.

"Good evening, Brother Nathan," Josiah said quietly as he walked up next to him. "Brother Ezra isn't in a very good mood so perhaps it would be wise not to disturb him unnecessarily."

"Oh, hello Josiah. I wasn't planning on bothering Ezra at all, just wondering what has got him so depressed lately," Nathan responded, turning towards the living room and waving his arm to indicate that Josiah should follow. "With the way things are looking up, you'd think he'd be happy and yet I've never seen him so upset."

They entered the lavishly decorated living room and sat opposite each other on plush red couches. Nathan pulled a small scrambling device from the coffee table and switched it on, ensuring that their conversation would remain secure from whoever it was that was spying on them Josiah took a minute to settle into the soft cushions, then spoke softly as his deep rumbling voice would allow, "Ezra is an intensely private person. He won't tell us what's wrong until he is ready to do so. The only thing we can do as his friends is wait patiently for that day and be there when it comes. But perhaps while we are waiting for him to open himself up, you and I could discuss the deep sadness you yourself have been dealing with?"

Nathan flinched at the words, turning his face away from Josiah and hiding his eyes in shadow.

"I'm truly sorry, my friend. I didn't wish to intrude where I wasn't wanted. Please forgive me," Josiah said.

"No. It's ok Josiah. You have every right to ask. I was surprised, that's all. I thought I had hidden it better than that, but I guess I was wrong." Nathan paused, gathering his thoughts. Then he said, "Today, Rain and I had lunch together at a small café near the Free Clinic. She told me that she admires me for being such a wonderful doctor and that she finds my adherence to the Hippocratic Oath inspiring. It was all I could do not to laugh, or cry, or scream. What would she think of me if she knew where I got the money to keep the Clinic running? What would she say if she knew what I do on my days off? She loves the Doctor, but could she love the Murderer?" Nathan looked deep into Josiah's eyes and saw his sadness reflected within. "How do you deal with it, Josiah? How do you deal with the guilt?"

Josiah spoke slowly and with great care, "All pain must be lived with, one day at a time. That's really all the advice I can give you. In my youth I would have spoken for an hour and given you many platitudes but as I have gotten older and my sins have gotten more numerous I have realized that all the platitudes in the world just boil down to that. I'm sorry if that isn't enough."

Nathan nodded as he mentally latched on to the scrap of resolve he had left, "Thank you, Josiah. That was enough."


	9. Chapter 9

Unfortunately, I'm here to announce that this story has been **discontinued**. However, I know how much it sucks when people abandon their stories and you never get to find out how it would end.

So I've decided to tell you what I had planned for this story.

As a quick refresher:

_The M7 are all assassins living in Vegas. A Secret Person (who was obviously a rather crazy JD) was slitting throats and making it look like Ezra's group (Ezra, Josiah, and Nathan) did it. The rival group of assassins (Chris, Buck-in-a-wheelchair, and Vin) had teamed up with Ezra's group in order to catch him._

_They also plan to assassinate Judge Travis (who has been a thorn in their sides for quite some time) in order to draw out JD._

And here's what would have happened next:

_Judge Travis is a very well connected and crafty man. He's well aware that there's a hit out on his person. When the Six go after him things go horribly wrong and there's a shoot out. JD, who sees things going south, kidnaps the wheelchair-bound Buck in the confusion. Travis survives and begins a city-wide manhunt for the assassins. Chris takes full control of Ezra's team and they must survive the manhunt as well as find Buck._

_Buck finds himself under the control of a very crazy young man. For the first several days he tries every way he can think of to escape, but he eventually starts to see something worth saving in JD. He coaxes the reasons why JD hates Ezra so much._

_Back in Boston, JD was forced to work for the mafia as an assassin in order to pay his mother's hospital bills (she has cancer... curable cancer). Ezra, at that time, found himself at the mercy of a rival Mafioso. To pay his debt he took out a hit on JD. The hit went wrong and the apartment JD and his mother were living in exploded, killing her instantly. JD survived (though everyone thinks he died) and he wants revenge for what happened. He already slit the throats of the mafia responsible, and now he has come for Ezra._

_Buck slowly gets through to JD... and JD lets him go, wanting to make amends by killing Travis. It's a trap and Buck convinces the others to come to his rescue. Travis agrees to stop the manhunt (at gunpoint) and they let him live. They take JD into their custody and at the end of the story they are slowly rehabilitating him back into sanity (and into the sweet young man we all know and love)._


End file.
